In modern bicycles, in particular high performance ones, there is increasing use of oil-hydraulic actuators and electric actuators.
In particular, disc brake systems are known, in which braking is obtained by means of the closing of calipers on the discs; the force necessary to obtain adequate braking by means of closing calipers on the discs is produced by an oil-hydraulic group, for which reason these braking systems are commonly called hydraulic brakes. More specifically, by acting manually on a brake lever a piston is actuated that places oil under pressure inside a cylinder. The pressurised oil is then transferred through suitable tubes to the brake calipers, to obtain braking.
The use of the aforementioned hydraulic brakes makes it possible to improve the performance of the bicycle, ensuring safe and powerful braking. However, the drives for the actuators of these systems are generally bulky, to the extent as to often be undesirable to the most demanding users.
The Applicant has reduced the overall bulk by making an integrated drive, which comprises both the means for driving a hydraulic brake and the means for driving a gearshift in a single body.